Trump Imposes European Tariffs to Force Greenland Sale

Surging Data Center Demand Triggers Emergency Grid Measures

Trump Administration Cuts Federal Workforce by 220,000

Export Surge Drives China Growth Despite Plummeting Birth Rate

U.S. Convenes Allies to Break Chinese Critical Minerals Dependence

BREAKING...DOJ launches criminal investigation of Minnesota governor, Minneapolis mayor...

Trump Imposes European Tariffs to Force Greenland Sale

President Trump announced Saturday that he will impose 10% tariffs on eight European nations beginning February 1, escalating to 25% by June, in an effort to pressure Denmark into selling Greenland to the United States. The tariffs will apply to all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, and will remain in effect until a deal is reached for what Trump called the "complete and total purchase" of Greenland. The move could affect a landmark trade agreement Trump negotiated with the European Union last year that was set to reduce tariffs on U.S. exports, with European Parliament leaders now calling for the deal's implementation to be suspended. Trump's announcement follows European nations deploying military and diplomatic assets to Greenland to deter U.S. acquisition efforts.

WSJ

Surging Data Center Demand Triggers Emergency Grid Measures

The White House urged the nation's largest electric grid operator Friday to conduct an emergency power auction as rapidly growing energy demand from data centers outpaces new power plant construction. The Trump administration called on PJM Interconnection, which serves 67 million customers across 13 states and Washington, D.C., to address escalating electricity prices and mounting reliability risks in the mid-Atlantic region through an emergency procurement auction. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined state governors at a White House event to discuss initiatives aimed at accelerating construction of more than $15 billion in new power generation capacity on the PJM grid, which has faced criticism for being too slow to build adequate reserves against potential rolling blackouts. In response, PJM unveiled its own plan requiring large data centers to either bring their own new generation capacity or face potential power curtailment during peak demand periods, while also proposing an accelerated interconnection process for state-sponsored generation projects. Construction spending on data centers is projected to increase 23% in 2026 compared to the previous year, reaching more than 6% of all nonresidential building construction, up from just 2% in 2023. Individual data center projects can cost over $1 billion to build and employ thousands of workers, dwarfing typical commercial real estate developments that cost hundreds of millions and employ hundreds of workers.

Reuters / WSJ

Trump Administration Cuts Federal Workforce by 220,000

The Trump administration reduced the federal workforce by approximately 220,000 employees through November, representing a 10% cut that reverses a decade of employment growth and returns the government's labor force to roughly the same size as when President Trump first took office. The decline, which includes both direct cuts and limited new hiring, marks the first clear picture of the administration's effort to reshape the federal government's employee base, making it America's largest employer significantly smaller than it has been in recent years.

NYT

Export Surge Drives China Growth Despite Plummeting Birth Rate

China's economy expanded 5% in 2025, meeting Beijing's growth target as a surge in exports compensated for weak domestic consumption and a historic demographic decline. The growth was powered by exports to a degree not seen in nearly three decades, even as companies curtailed investment and Chinese consumers remained reluctant to spend, creating what critics describe as an increasingly lopsided economic model that has drawn concern from trading partners and international institutions. Meanwhile, China reported more deaths than births for the fourth consecutive year, with just 7.92 million babies born in 2025 compared to 9.54 million in 2024, while deaths climbed to 11.31 million, leaving the population smaller and older with a birth rate of 5.63 per 1,000 people—the lowest level since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

WSJ / NYT

U.S. Convenes Allies to Break Chinese Critical Minerals Dependence

The United States will convene foreign ministers from dozens of allied nations on February 4 to pursue agreements aimed at reducing dependencies on Chinese critical minerals and diversifying supply chains. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to host the meeting as Washington accelerates efforts to end U.S. reliance on rare earth minerals following Beijing's export restrictions imposed last year, which were delayed for one year as part of a deal between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping but remain a top priority for American officials. The U.S. has been pressing individual European Union member states to sign bilateral memorandums of understanding, prompting the European Commission to urge EU countries to maintain a unified front rather than negotiate separately.

Bloomberg

January 19 1999: First BlackBerry device hits the market

It wasn't a phone, but a two-way pager with email capability.

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Sources

1. WSJ - Trump to Hit European Nations With Tariffs Until Deal Reached to Buy Greenland
2. Reuters - White House Seeks Emergency Power Auction for Largest U.S. Electric Grid WSJ - Commercial Builders Are Losing Their Appetite to Build Anything but Data Centers
3. NYT - Trump Workforce Cuts Table
4. WSJ - China Reports Robust Economic Growth Thanks to Resilient Exports NYT - China Population Data
5. Bloomberg - U.S. Asks Allies to Step Up Measures on Chinese Critical Minerals